THE DAMAGE was done in the first half as St Columba’s Comprehensive from Glenties were beaten by deadly St Dominic’s from Belfast in the Ulster Senior (Under-20) C final at Garvaghey.
St Columba’s Comprehensive, Glenties 2-09 St Dominic’s Grammar School, Belfast 4-14
Michelle Magee, Dearbhail McShane and Molly White struck gold in the opening period and, with a 3-13 to 1-2 lead at the short whistle, never looked like relinquishing that advantage.
St Columba’s made a go of it in the second half, but the mountain was too steep for them to climb and the concession of three soft goals ultimately contributed to their defeat.
An early Deirbhile Ward goal had ignited the possibilities, but the excellent and powerful Magee cancelled it out a minute later and St Dominic’s never looked back.
On 43 minutes, after St Columba’s had reeled off six points in a row, White attempted a point, but her luck was in and her shot looped over Rosa Kelly’s head and into the net.
The manner of the two goals in the closing five minutes of the first half that will really have stuck between St Columba’s teeth – and were really the telling blows to their hopes.
McShane’s 26th minute attempt at a point looped over the unfortunate Kelly and dropped under the bar.
As if that wasn’t hard enough to take, St Dominic’s managed a third goal when White’s shot from the left-hand side squirmed under Kelly and into the net for a 3-13 to 1-2 advantage.
The fourth from White sealed the deal.
St Columba’s had the ball in the net after only three minutes when Ward fired home at point-blank range after taking receipt of a neat pass inside from the lively Amy Boyle-Carr.
But the Comp girls would only score two further points in the opening half, Ward knocking over a free and Lara Sweeney scoring with a brilliant effort that tailed inside the upright at just the right moment.
The writing was on the wall for the Glenties school by the quarter-hour mark.
With the Magees, Michelle and Emma, cutting swathes in the middle of the park for St Dominic’s, the Belfast side gained a foothold in the game.
Just a minute after conceding to Ward, St Dominic’s got a goal of their own as Michelle Magee soared through the St Columba’s defence and smashed to the net past goalkeeper Rosa Kelly.
Magee and Dearbhail McShane were the architects of the St Columba’s downfall in the fatal opening period, scoring 2-11 between them.
St Columba’s, with Ellie McInnes, Danielle McDevitt, Ward and Sweeney on the mark, didn’t raise the white flag, but the fourth goal was the killer for Nicola Sheanan’s team.
Ten minutes from the end, Boyle-Carr bagged a second St Columba’s goal, but they’d left themselves with too much ground to make up.
St Columba’s Comprehensive, Glenties: Rosa Kelly; Niamh Gallagher, Roisin Maguire, Gemma Byrne; Niamh Agnew, Shana Quinn, Leah McNelis; Arianna Bonner, Lara Sweeney (0-2); Deirbhile Ward (1-3, 1f), Sarah Harkin, Ellie McInnes (0-2); Danielle McDevitt (0-2), Natasha Cole, Amy Boyle Carr (1-0).
St Dominic’s Grammar School, Belfast: Danielle Forde; Katie Rafferty, Nicole McKeown, Eabha Connolly; Caoimhe Stewart, Lucy Wallace, Eva Cafolla; Emma Magee, Michelle Magee (1-6, 1f); Dearbhail McShane (1-5, 3f), Orla McCrory, Maria Hanna; Cliodhna Duffy, Molly White (2-1), Shona Garland (0-2).
Referee: Paul Swift (Monaghan).
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